The Wolf of Sin
by The-Alizarin-Possum534
Summary: We take a look at where Tsume went after he fled from his pack and how he first came to Freeze City. Give it a go, please : Rated T for blood and cussing. No yaoi.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE: The Wolf of Sin**

This is a story about Tsume after he was banished from his pack and before he came to Freeze city. Tsume isn't yet the anti-social loner he is in the series and still doesn't know any swear words… but not for long. This is my frst fic so I hope you enjoy! ;)

Over the endless barren horizon, a grey dog ran. The red moon above stared it down with its eyes of greatness, and the stars pierced it with the sharpest daggers. The dog ran on, and on, and on. It stopped not once in its long run. What is its story?

* * *

Tsume could feel his blood on his paws- his own blood dripping from the wound in his chest. He wanted nothing more than to be rid of it and go back to the way things used to be; when he still had his friends, his parents, his aunties, his siblings, his girl… but it was all ashes.

The wolf's heavy breathing was increasing and he had unknowingly begun to lag. Tsume's vision began to blur but he took no notice. _I'm already running blindly! This won't be any dif-_ he stopped when he heard something in the distance. A high-frequency beeping which blotted out all other sounds and confused his muddled brain even more. When he looked up, he saw a black ship in the sky through his blurry eyes. It was too much to comprehend. The last thing he remembered before he fell to the snow-covered ground was the beeping, the black ship, the rancid smell, and blood.

* * *

When Tsume woke, he found himself lying in a pool of his own blood. He felt tired and wary, as though he could not manage another day. This was it. He had no other alternative. The wounded wolf breathed in, and summoning up all his strength, he howled.

"Ah-wruuuuuuuuuu~!" "A-wruu!" "A-wruu!" The howl echoed across the mountains and the rocks. If he were lucky, someone would come and help. If he were not, he'd either die in his own blood or with a bullet to his neck.

_Either way, I deserve it. This wound, it is a mark of my sin against my pack. I am an outcast._

Tsume resisted the urge to sleep. He was fully aware that if he did he may never open his eyes again. He stayed in his fetal position in an attempt to keep the warmth in his body. His watering eyes were on the red moon, the goddess of beauty and power, the goddess of wolves, for she gave his father and his father before the strength to live on. Tsume became entranced by the moon. His body and mind felt even weaker but also… lighter. He was a feather swayed in the wind. A bloody feather. Before he knew it, the grey wolf had fallen asleep once again.

* * *

_Lapa laughed at Klik's joke. "Haha! I suppose that _is_ what hunting a caribou would be like!" She looked over at Tsume, who was also laughing_

"_Oh, Tsume, you know how funny you look when you laugh!" she giggled. Tsume put on a macho face. "Well, dearie, you look funny when you try!" Lapa was his girl, and he was her boy. Klik suddenly stopped laughing. He glanced over at where the older wolves were gathered. Some of them were also pricking their ears up, the alpha pair included. Cody, a friend of Tsume's ran up to the alpha pair and whispered something which made them snarl._

"_The Hunters are here!" they howled at their pack. "If we work together, we can overcome this!"_

_The pack erupted into a dismayed beast but it was too late. A bullet whizzed past Tsume and hit the tree behind him. He gasped and looked at Lapa, who was cowering on her paws. _

"_Come on, Lapa! We have to go!" he hissed. When he looked across to Klik, all he found was a dead black body with blood pouring from its stomach. He gasped at the sight, but it only made him want to hurry even more. "Come on, Lapa!" he said again. Lapa stood up and followed him when he ran to the nearest exit out of pack camp._

"_Tsume…" he heard someone say behind him. When he turned, he saw Lapa- and then he saw blood. Lapa too had been killed. Like a maddened eagle, he closed his eyes and ran forth as fast as he could. Images of his packmates' bloody bodies lingered in his mind and blinded him in his haste, sending him to a collision course with the alpha male._

"_Tsume, you traitor!" he howled, and tossed his head back to deliver a lethal blow to the chest. It hit Tsume with such impact that he was tossed in the air several meters backward. Tsume landed on his side. When he looked back up at his alpha's eyes, all he saw was hatred._

* * *

Tsume literally jumped when he woke, which of course didn't help to staunch his blood.

"Ahhh!" yelled an unfamiliar voice. Tsume froze. Who screamed? Who else was here other than him? And now he came to think of it, why was he in an underground snow cave? His eyes didn't seem to see anything but blurry images like before. He noticed a large hulk of ice right next to him.

"Wh…Who are you?" he asked weakly. Because he was in wolf form, the words did not come out of his mouth, but rather his mind.

"I'm your elder, young'n. Now shut up and lay still," replied a gruff old voice. Tsume had never heard such a deep voice come from a wolf. He figured it must be very big.

"I'm Tsum…" "What did I say about shutting up?" growled the gruff old voice again. This time Tsume did silence himself. He felt the older wolf put something onto his chest, and only then he remembered why he'd howled for help. Although every one of his instincts screeched for him to run away, he forced himself to remain calm. When the older wolf finished, it said, "Now. What happened to leave you in such a state?" Tsume was surprised. He expected a question like 'Who are you?' first.

"Um… well… my alpha did this when I tried to run away from my pack. We were attacked by the Hunters." He stammered. The older wolf was silent for a moment.

"Wolves… curious creatures…" it muttered. Tsume suddenly sat up rigid. He could feel a snarl curving at the end of his lips.

"If you are no wolf, why did you say you were my elder?" he asked boldly. Upon closer inspection, the big chunk of ice next to him didn't smell like ice or wolf.

"I'm your elder 'cause I'm older than you! And wiser," snapped the gruff old voice again. Tsume was lost for words. The gruff old voice didn't seem to feel like discussing the subject any further because it started lecturing him.

"…Why did you run all the way from where ever you were to here! You could have died! Do you have any idea how fast infection spreads? And what your blood has attracted! Grah! Foolish cub! Or pup, or whatever you wolves call your young…" It bellowed. Tsume blinked up at the large ranting figure and tilted his head. This seemed to soften the older 'wolf.'

"I'm a polar bear. The last of my race." It said. "Call me Hurgem, or Auntie, whatever you think fits." For the first time, Tsume's eyes lost some of their blurriness. When he looked at the polar bear's face, he saw a wide smile stretched across its large muzzle.

"Yes, Auntie." He said. It didn't feel right to call such an ancient creature by its proper name. "I'm Tsume."

"Tsume… Claw… you wolves have funny names indeed," chuckled Auntie. For the first time in a while, Tsume smiled. He smiled a big enough smile to match Auntie.

When Tsume closed his eyes, he knew he'd wake to a good day for the first time since his sin. Auntie would protect him, and he'd protect her. What's more, he would wake to a beautiful cloudless night.


	2. Chapter 2

This time, I'm going to write the story in the Polar Bear's POV, I'm sorry for dawdling. This chapter will also be in partly Tsume's POV, don't worry

Apologies for the last chapter; I didn't write a disclaimer. I do not claim ownership of Wolf's Rain or any characters (except for my own OC's).

* * *

**CHAPTER 2: The Snow and the Moon**

A starry and slightly cloudy night covered the sky in its delicate blanket. The red moon was waning once again and the high hills were radiating their own aura of snowy white. Nothing could ruin this display of sleek perfection.

Hurgem gently placed her paw on the cave entrance. As her large beady eyes darted from one speck of horizon to another, she noticed the pool of blood the young cub Tsume had left. As she climbed out of the den, she sniffed the ice-cold liquid with great interest. It was at times like these that her great sense of smell came in handy.

The blood smelled foreign yet so familiar from the past whiffs she'd received when travelling around wolf territory. Wolves were certainly strange; for one, they possessed as powerful a sense of smell as a polar bear, and they looked to the moon every night. Their howls would fill her ears at times- it was so beautiful that on more than one occasion she was tempted to join in.

The cub's blood was frosted but still carried a powerful magnitude of scent, and these enduring winds would carry the blood many miles to an enemy. The humans had almost no sense of smell at all, no, it was the birds of prey and other large mammals that worried her. Even Hurgem found herself questioning why she hadn't eaten the young cub in the first place.

When the great bear was satisfied that her search was complete, she walked back to the cave-den and ducked inside. The walls of ice reflected the warmth from the two living creatures' bodies and filled the entire den with warm air. It was a good way to stay alive in these times, the only problem was food. She kept the food she got from the city in a hole of ice dug in from the side. Food could be dropped in and stored for up to three or four months. All that remained now were three large fish, only enough for two days. _The cub will need one every day. I'll need one at least every week. That's a problem._

Gritting her teeth in frustration, she stole a glance at the grey slab of bloodied fur lying beside her. Its breathing was different and shallow which she suspected was more than a difference between species. A scab had formed of the dried blood on the wound and covered it for the time being, but it would crack if it was moved too much. This posed yet another problem. The sleeping wolf didn't seem to have a care in the world; he was twitching his legs in his sleep, obviously dreaming about running. Hurgem decided that they would move to a city as soon as the young cub's wound healed. She would retell stories of wolves and bears she had learned in her youth and older life. For now, sleep was a tempting reward.

* * *

Tsume gently opened one slitted eye. The first thing he noticed was that Auntie was asleep right beside him. His attention then rested upon his wound, which had reduced in swelling and was now dried up. Tsume then felt the moon's rays fall upon the entrance to the den. It was beautiful to see; a colour resembling what his elders said a lunar flower looked like.

Breathing in, he gently picked himself up and crawled toward the entrance. Once his head poked out into the raw windswept land before him, he knew he was alive. The moon above smiled, seeming to forgive his past sin and healed his wound. Tsume stayed like that, basking in the moonlight with closed eyes until the moon's aura began to fade. Twilight had set in afresh, making the sky a soft pearl pink.

Sighing to himself, Tsume stepped down from where he was standing and crept back into the underground den to where Auntie was sleeping. It was boring to be alone again.

With nothing to do, the grey wolf became curious with the healing affects the moon had on his wound. He was amazed to see the wound halfway healed, although the appearance of blood did confuse him for a second. _It's true what Uha said! The moon really does heal and help us survive! Us wolves have the moon on our side!_

It was then that he realised Auntie was not asleep. She had just opened one eye and was examining him closely. Tsume cocked his head slightly.

"Auntie?" he asked. Auntie huffed in amusement. She sat up onto her bottom with her fore-limbs hanging by her side and large legs to suit.

"What is it, Cub?" she asked sleepily. Tsume brightened. He was wondering what other creatures thought of the moon.

"What does the moon mean to you?" he asked innocently. Auntie squinted her eyes as she thought for a moment.

"To me, it's just a large red blob in the sky. It gives me light at night and reflects the snow to my advantage." She replied, "There was a time when the moon was pure white."

This caught Tsume's interest. "Did you see the white moon, Auntie?"

"No… I'm not that old," she said plainly. Tsume nodded, then looked to the entrance of the den. Auntie seemed to be waiting for this moment.

"Ok… now that we've got a conversation going, I'm going to ask some questions," she said with a cheeky grin on her face. "First of all, how did your scar heal for quickly?"

"The moon. It healed me," he replied bluntly, still looking at the entrance. Auntie looked taken aback.

"The moon? Just the moon? What the hell would that do?" she growled suddenly. It seemed to Tsume that she did not deal well with new things.

"Wolves have a special connection to the moon. We rely on it to keep us alive when we can't manage. It can heal our injuries much faster than we ourselves would heal naturally," he murmured wisely. In truth, he was repeating the words of Uha, an elder of the pack who had lived many more years than alpha. Auntie took some time to register this new news.

"Damn wolves…" she muttered quietly. "Alright then, next question: where is your pack?"

Tsume closed his eyes tightly and gritted his teeth. "They are… they're gone…" his voice was almost a whimper. Unconscious to his drooping ears and tail, Tsume flopped down to the ground. Auntie obviously wasn't used to this kind of situation because she quickly changed the topic in her own flustered way.

"Er… erm… what were you running from?" she stammered. Tsume sank even lower and flicked his eyes to a pebble in the snow. "No reason." He fell silent. The grey wolf didn't feel ready to talk about his traitorous actions, he still hadn't fully accepted himself.

Tsume stayed like that for the next hours staring blankly at a grey pebble in from of his nose until he fell asleep, his mind filled with bloody dreams. Among the chaos that surrounded him, he saw a white moon. A pure bloodless moon with no judgment. He knew instantly that that was what he wanted.

* * *

Hurgem groaned at herself. _Remember he said he got the wound from his alpha. Remember that alpha's are the lead wolves in a pack!_

"What a crappy day," she muttered. "Wolves are the bad luck charms of life. Where ever you go, there's blood, howls, and a lunatic's word on the moon. What's more, now it appears what they said is real. I'm a bear. I shouldn't have to deal with this shit."

She was now dearly wishing the cub never heard her cussing. What wasn't good was a teenage wolf running around swearing at everyone's face. A Polar Bear didn't look to the moon or the stars for help, it looked to the snow for advice. The snow always hid secrets and answers, it was just her mission to find them.

It just happened to be so that she noticed a fresh pair of bare human tracks going toward the spot with blood and then swaying off to the edge to walk in the other direction toward Sun City.

As the Polar Bears say, the snow holds all the answers to all secrets.

**Okay! Finally done! Tell me what you think, especially if it's too boring. I will try to involve more drama, action and Tsume in the next chapter :3**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE: the Beginning of a new beginning**

**I do not own Wolf's Rain or Tsume (C) to Bones**

Auntie had awoken Tsume from his sleep. The grey wolf wasn't that happy about it, but he suspected it involved food. The blurriness in his eyes had begun to ebb away slowly but it still wasn't enough to fight. Auntie wasn't very sympathetic.

"Get up, cub! You've already had your fill of sleep!" she growled. Tsume sat up in fear of being smacked with a giant white paw. Auntie turned to leave the den and indicated with her head that he should follow also.

Once both of them were outside on the barren sun-bleached land, Auntie told Tsume that they were about to embark on a journey.

"We're going to Sun City," she growled once again in that tone. Tsume was beginning to get curious. Thankfully, the great bear took time to explain.

"I've got three fish here with me. One for me, one for you, and another as a spare. It should be enough energy to get to Sun City."

"But we'll be not…" "I ain't finished yet, cub!" she bellowed. Tsume was reminded of their first encounter.

"We'll shift into our human forms. What else?" The grey wolf was silent for a moment. He'd never taken time to perfect his shifting skills. He was wondering which other animals possessed the shifting ability.

Auntie apparently didn't want to waste any more time. She shifted into her human form right after she stopped speaking.

The polar bear was a blonde-haired old lady with pale skin and brown eyes. She wore a shawl over her head and a scarf around her shoulders. Underneath her brown cloak was a green jumper and dusty brown pants. It was likely she would cover herself in the dusty brown cloak so as to ward off attention once entered the city.

She now looked expectedly at Tsume. He closed his eyes and willed himself into human form. It was actually the second time he had ever used it. When he looked down at himself, all he saw were strange bits of fur he assumed were called clothes. When he looked at Aunie, she was smiling.

"Yes… yes… very suited to our goal…" she said thoughtfully. The grey wolf only looked at her with a confused expression on his human face. He noticed there were things dangling from his ears. He looked back at Auntie.

"Well go on! Start walking around! Practicing!" she bellowed, taking a seat on a rock that just happened to be poking out of the snow. Tsume wasn't sure if it was a joke, but either way, he tried walking back and forth- or rather stumble around.

It was the second hour before Auntie said, "Stop!" Tsume was panting with sweat dangling from his face. To her amusement, he tried to sniff and lick it, only to recoil in disgust.

"What are these stupid things…" he muttered to himself. Hurgem took one frozen fish from her pocket and held it out to him in her human hand. He reached for it but struggled to actually take it, which she knew was because he hadn't gotten used to the human hand. For a moment, he just stared at his wriggling fingers. When he was apparently sure he was ready, he struck out his hand a little too roughly and yanked it from Hurgem's hand- too rough.

Hurgem grabbed her fingers in haste to staunch the bleeding. "Be careful with that yapper!" she growled lowly. The young cub looked confused at first, but then at second glance realised what he had done.

"Oh… so we're still ourselves…" he murmered. Hurgem nodded hurriedly.

"Yes, you'd do well to remember that!" Her curiosity was peaking about the man who had inspected the cub's blood. The food shortage was only a point to back up their reason to go to Sun City.

"Finished eating?" she mumbled through a mouthful of 'bloodied fingers' fish, not noticing Tsume's peculiar attitude toward the food. He hesitantly bit into it and drew back in disgust. With an apprehensive glance at Hurgem, he bit once again, this time finishing the fish. Hurgem herself had taken special care to eat the fish in small bites so as to preserve the flavour.

"What is this… Sun City like?" he asked with a sour look on his face (no doubt from the meal).

"It's a city under the rule Lord Orkham, although a minor one. It's… a good place to go for… jewellery and… trading. And food," she replied suspiciously plainly. The cub narrowed his eyes but didn't pursue her words.

Hurgem didn't give him any time anyway. She walked toward the puddle of frozen blood and sniffed at the prints, which had now disappeared under a thick blanket of snow. She suddenly lifted her head, pointing directly behind. _This way… he went on foot. This makes no sense._

She didn't stop to dawdle; the great bear immediately launched into a fast-paced run without waiting for the younger cub. Both were still in their human forms, Tsume admittedly more wobbling than anything else.

"You'll get used to the running!" she grinned at the wind in her face. The Polar Bear and the Grey Wolf ran on, following the tracks with increasing inhuman speed. It was to be a long day. A very long day on the run from death.

Tsume noticed Auntie was breathing heavier now. He supposed that her age didn't do any good to her stamina. She suddenly halted to draw breath and sniff the snow around them. Something made her quirk her head to the left. Tsume now saw why.

Several hundred yards away was a fast approaching cargo jeep. It resembled a wagon strongly because of the tent shelter given in the back. On the jeep were shapes Tsume came to know as letters but didn't know how to read.

Auntie squinted and leaned on one knee for support.

"Act tired, hungry and cold." She whispered into his ear. She immediately flung her cloak and shawl around her body while Tsume, who wasn't familiar with human reactions, copied Auntie and hunched his back with folded arms.

The jeep slowed down as it approached them. Inside, a man with a long sagging beard stepped out and walked toward them. He had a coat wrapped around his shoulders and black gloves with large durable boots. He smiled at them

"Ah, me lady. Sun city, aye?" he asked. Auntie smiled and ndded.

"Hoho. Follow me, follow me." He winked. The bearded man shuffled to the tent coverings and opened the door to enter. Tsume was amazed to find one person already seated against a controlled fire which warmed up the whole jeep.

While Tsume was looking away, Auntie took the fish from her pocket and handed it to the man.

"For the effort and the deed. Good luck be with you," she said. The man grinned toothlessly and accepted the gift. When he went back to the driver's seat, Auntie hopped into the mobile tent and closed the doors behind her. Tsume found himself alone with a stranger, Auntie, and a fire.

Auntie took off her cloak and handed it to Tsume. "Take it, Kid," she said. Tsume knew better than to look surprised openly. This was obviously an act of importance. He took the cloak and wrapped himself in it just as Auntie had, taking note of the way it felt against his skin.

The stranger looked up. "Who is the kid, Silvi?" Tsume was taken aback by the attention he had received.

"This is Tom," Auntie said, "Tom, this is an old friend, Gabby." Tsume and Gabby nodded to each other, both taking a neutral feeling about the other.

For the rest of the journey, the two women chatted about the happenings and politics of the near world. Tsume occasionally picked up a strip of information but it never made any sense so he quit listening in. The gentle rocking of the jeep lulled him to sleep, despite the heated conversation in the corner.

The grey wolf's dreams were eccentric, wild and awesome. Forests, deserts, oceans, hills- all he places to be Tsume went. It was a déjà vu experience, and an unnecessary reminder of his insignificance to the world.

**Ok, I may have confused this chapter with the next. This wasn't Tsume-like at all... at least we've finally met the minor characters that help our favourites begin ther journey ;3 Next chapter will have more... crime.**


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR: Home Sweet Home**

**Thankyou, reviewers! To all people who haven't reviewed, REVIEW! It's what I live on! (By the way, I'm not going to start labeling the chapters as their title because it's a little late now xD)  
**

**CUSS/GORE WARNING  
**

**I do not own Wolf's Rain or Tsume.  
**

A snowy morning with greyer clouds illuminated the world before them. A long winding road with snow piled here and there slithered along the scene. If one looked beyond it, they would see Sun City.

Tsume handed the dusty brown cloak back to Auntie, who was waving the jeep-driver away. "Goodbye! We won't need a pickup!"

Gabby nodded and waved as well. The driver was yelling something inaudible over the noise of the jeep but they assumed it was an 'OK.' Once he was out of range, the three travelers started up the road to Sun City.

All were silent until they reached the city gates. On each side stood two guards, complete in fine black armour and shining black halberds. The guards raised the halberds and let them pass, lowering them behind instantly. Tsume felt himself growl silently at the preposterous procedure.

When the grey wolf looked up, however, his growl turned into a silent gasp of wonder. How fantastic that his sight had healed to quickly. Sun City was lively place. Tables of men gathered outside one café, a crowded flower shop in the corner, exotic goods sold in the opposite direction, even a row of houses with an alleyway! This is how he would have described it a week from then.

In his wonder, he bumped into Auntie, who was chatting animatedly with Gabby.

"Watch it, cub!" she growled. Tsume noticed Gabby's eyes flash when she said it, and Auntie seemed to notice it too. She whipped around and continued talking with Gabby hurriedly. Gabby hesitantly joined into her conversation.

Tsume looked up ahead of them to see where the two women were leading him. A series of very high triple-story houses loomed before him, several in ruins and others noticeably empty. The one-story houses seemed most popular.

Auntie and Gabby walked up to one at the far back in ruin. It was a white building with pealing grey paint and in some areas exposed red brick. The door was stiff and rusty, just like its brown hinges. Auntie and Gabby stood there for a moment, transfixed on the door… and then Auntie nodded to Gabby. Gabby pushed the door inwards. It fell with a great clutter, making Tsume wince. The two elderly women entered without hesitation.

Inside was an old rotten table, two chairs, one window and several bear bottles. Both bear and wolf wrinkled their nose in disgust. Gabby flung toward the staircase and disappeared.

"What is she doing?" asked Tsume, who heard some faint banging from upstairs.

"She's checking what's been stolen," replied Auntie.

"What's been… stolen?"

"You must understand this is a popular town, cub. Surly there are thieving gangs flying all over the place," she said with a wink. The grey wolf nodded slowly.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang from above. Tsume heard crumbling cement and scrabbling feet. Another shot echoed.

Auntie bowled Tsume over as she ran up the stairs toward all the noise. She didn't realise that her bear claws had scratched the young wolf as she fled… but being a wolf, he only received a shallow cut to the flank.

When he entered the room where all the fuss was from, the first thing he noticed was the stinking stench of blood. In a corner struggled Gabby with her arms over her head and on top of her lay Auntie, bleeding from a wound to her leg.

A man was standing with a pistol in his hands (_"I've… I've shot a granny…"_). He jerkily pointed his gun at Tsume as soon as his head appeared in view. In the life-threatening situation they were in, his wolf instincts took over.

"What the fuck is that dog?" he stammered desperately as Tsume, in wolf form, raced towards Auntie and Gabby to stand as a shield.

Before the man was a vicious grey wolf with sharp golden eyes. It had blood dripping slowly from his side. The drooling white fangs, the pointing tail, the flashing claws, the steady muscles; but most noticeable the fresh scar upon the creature's chest. It was a fatal wound to any man, a battle scar and a warning of danger. The survivor dog with the beautiful fur, a fighter 'til the death.

In his fear and desperation, the man shot his gun into the roof.

"Go away or it's next!" he cried to the grannies. Despite Tsume's human appearance earlier, the man refused to accept him as nothing more than an aggressive dog.

Tsume growled in a dangerous tone and flashed his shining gums and fangs. He took a step further… mistake. The crazed man shot him in the leg, making the wolf fall to a limp.

"Make that piece of shit stay away from me!"

Auntie had recovered from her wound. She whipped up from her craving spot and ran toward the man, turning into a bear at the last second.

"Bastard!" she roared. The man fell to the ground with a loud clank. His bloodied corpse lolled gently on its side dripping large amounts of blood from the mouth and neck.

"You didn't have to kill him, Hur!" Gabby gasped, jumping up like a rabbit. Auntie licked her mouth.

"Sorry. Instincts got the better of me," she said simply. Gabby huffed and took a nearby chair. Auntie shuffled awkwardly with her wounded leg toward Tsume who was lying on the ground with bloodlust in his eyes.

"Hey. Get up and lay next to the window there for me." She said gently. Tsume snorted and limped like a ragged doll to the glassless window. It blew fresh wind into his face and calmed his nerves.

"So what's your name anyway, wolf?" said Gabby out of nowhere. The grey wolf's back fur rose slightly. _She knows I'm a wolf… she knows about wolves... and she's accepted everything she saw without fear._

"Tom," he replied inscrutably. Gabby chuckled and Auntie smiled in the corner.

"No… your _real_ name."

"It's Tom!" he growled irritably. How did this woman know his name? Unless Auntie told her… he hoped she hadn't.

"Wolves have very unique names. When translated, they mean a word like 'moon' or 'fur.' What is your name?"

Tsume stiffened. _I don't like this…_ He turned his head into Gabby's direction and looked her straight in the eyes, and to his frustration she stared right back.

"Tsume," he said with a faint gruff tone in his voice. "And who are you?"

"I'm someone who knows everything about wolves… and bears," she replied with a wink at Auntie. "I've lived among wolves- it's second nature to me and I know immediately when a wolf is about."

"You're being awfully open for one who is wolf at heart," observed Tsume.

"I trust you. You are a part of my pack now. Do you not feel the same way towards me?" she said. Tsume detected no challenge in her voice.

"No. I don't know you. I only just found out you know about wolves. I haven't seen you risk your neck for me with my own eyes," he snarled.

"Good. No sane wolf would open himself to a complete stranger." Tsume's expectation was that of outrage. This woman obviously dealt in 'his case' before. He laid his head on the window sill and stared into the open eyes of the sun.

"What happened to you?" Gabby asked surprisingly sorrowfully. "What happened to you to separate from your pack so early?" This made him prick his ears.

"Erm… actually…" began Auntie, but was cut off by Gabby. "No. I have to know."

"I'll tell you when I trust you," he mumbled. "I don't trust you."

Gabby looked on and nodded quietly.

"You don't have to be so blunt!" shouted Auntie with a paw on Gabby's shoulder.

"I'm a wolf. My nature is honest."

Auntie snorted and shifted into a human again. She poked Tsume in his bleeding leg, making him yelp.

"Sop whimpering. It's only a bullet, you have four legs! Help me move the bastard over here." She pointed to the bloody dead man with the gun. She reached to him and yanked the pistol out of his hand and gave it to Gabby who immediately checked it all over.

"We're putting him in the park. It's a protected area and hosts some of the oldest and largest trees. He'll make good soil," she said. Tsume nodded and shifted into human form, wincing at the pain of moving his leg. He grabbed the man's legs with his hands and (made the blood left spurt) shuffled him downstairs with Auntie at his head.

"Finally!" exclaimed Auntie. "No one to bother us here!"

Tsume saw instantly why no one came very often. Around the tree was a surprisingly marshy scene. From somewhere came some liquid and made the reserve a swamp of mud. The entire lot stank like a million leaves- but it was the first natural thing the grey wolf had encountered on his journey; this made it a heaven.

"Right. Find a deep root and drop 'im in."

"Wh…what?" Dumping a body without some sort of…remembrance ceremony was too strange a thought! Whenever an elder died in the pack, each would pay their respects.

"Yes! You heard me! No one comes here and no one but us creatures can distinguish the flesh from the swamp stink! It's good for the tree, just do it." She said with a marshy stick in her hand. The bear began to poke under the roots of the great mystical tree also sniffing here and there.

Tsume decided that he would just look around. Although he had the same balance now as he did in wolf form, his brain still told him to be cautious.

From somewhere behind the tree sounded a large, "GOT IT! Bring the bastard over here!" The grey wolf picked up the corpse and dragged it toward the sound. Auntie had found a fantastic hole under a root of the great tree… it already smelled faintly of flesh and bones… suspicious.

"Hehe… join your buddies, bastard," She cackled while stuffing the man's corpse down the swamp-hole. _At least she doesn't hide it… I'm not sure which I prefer actually. Whatever._

"Don't lick your paws, cub. Humans wash their hands with water."

"I'm a wolf, not a human."

She flicked him on the ear. "Yeah, but you'll get into the habit of licking! The last thing we want is to look suspicious!"

"What exactly are we doing anyway?" he mumbled with a red ear.

"You want the truth or a hint?" she whispered cheekily.

"The truth."

"Then you'll have to wait a while."

The grey wolf groaned. "Let's go back then. We look suspicious enough as it is in this park."

Auntie nodded and led them back on the trail to the house. Gabby had something in her hands that was exceedingly shiny and bright.

"Turns out they've all turned dim-witted. Didn't check the main stash, but they definatly tried to wipe the house clean." Said Gabby the Auntie.

"Time's ripe again. All we need is a proper food stall and some rehearsal. We may as well teach the cub a few tricks…"

"You really are an evil Noble. Poisoning the minds of the young," she chuckled. "But hey,it's always good to have one more man on the squad, eh? Especially a wolf…"

Tsume didn't like the greedy smirks on their faces at all… _uh oh. This doesn't sound very familiar…_

**REALLY sorry about the ultra-late update! It was hard to choose the right direction, I just hope you're happy with the result. I think you can see what kind of content next chapter will hold :D  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**I don't own Tsume or Wolf's Rain. Minor cuss warning.  
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**CHAPTER FIVE: Leap-frog**

"So let me get this straight. You two are thieves, this is your… den, and you want me to join. Is that it?"

"Yes."

"… explain again."

Hurgem and Gabby sighed.

"Thieves go on raids and steal the resources of the Nobles and other gangs of thieves. Most of the resources are weaponry and jewellery- like your earrings there, and stash them. We then may sell them, trade them, or whatever. C'mon, kid, it's the best thrill in the world. You're a wolf, you should know it."

The cub stayed silent. Hurgem took a deep breath and sighed heavily (again). She began to wonder if wolves had a sense of right and wrong like humans did, or used to have.

"Just….give me a go at it first." He mumbled.

"Nup. Once you learn it, you can't unlearn it. Choose now."

"Grr… fine. But this'd better be worth my time!"

"Good! Welcome to the squad!"

Tsume was greeted with pats on the back – most thundering along his spine.

"Gab! Black roof building?" Hurgem asked. This was going to be fun.

"Sure, Hur, meet you there!" said Gabby as she stormed down the stairs outside. When Hurgem was sure she had gone, she turned to Tsume.

"Are you confident in your human form?" asked Hurgem.

"Uh… yeah," he said slowly and suspiciously; Hurgem was glad he wasn't one of those common shit-heads which rushed into something without hesitation and certainty.

"Can you jump around a lot?"

"What do you mean…?" This sure got him by surprise. To explain with emphasis her point, she leapt out of the window to land on some high railing connecting one house to another. This left a noticeably loud clanging echo under her feet. The old vibrations again, she was beginning to relive her fantastic life already.

Now she was getting annoyed. It turned out he'd never seen a 'human' jump like that. What kind of thieve gasped at some other's agility so much their face fell off?

Now the cub was rearing up, seeming to be over Hurgem's leap. When he jumped, it was much higher and wider than his elder's jump, and as a result he had to make an emergency landing on the other side of the roof. It now became apparent that wolves had natural instincts to guide them, even when their eyes sent a message to brain saying '_you're a human!_'. This meant that Hurgem would not have to teach the cub as much as last thought.

"Alright! Follow me!" she yelled at him, beginning to leap with loud clangs to the Black Roof Building, the place where Gabby was waiting.

Wolves were perfect with this kind of thing. The way the cub could land with precision, accuracy, balance, swiftness, silence and of course his young age helped- it almost make her envious; but Hurgem was not so low as to envy the young, for the young are those who would have most trouble.

Sun City, reflected the bear, was a surprisingly loose place to have such rich value and population. The gangsters she knew personally, from either old deals, rivalries, or short-term friendship lived in each corner of the city. And she knew them all.

As each and every one of us know, you should not be thinking about something of almost totally no relevance in the [life-threatening] position you are currently in. Especially if; a) you have never done this before or b) you've gotten very rusty in those years 'out of service.'

== WHO WILL FALL? WHO WILL PLUMMET TO THEIR DEATH? WHO WILL SING THEIR LAST SONG AS A WILD CREATURE? Find out in the next episode of _the Wolf of Sin! _==

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(Um... -_-' Why did I do that? Anyway, ignore it. No one dies.)

A two-story building of stone stood abandoned close to its other twin buildings. The thing that extinguished these buildings was the colour of the roof, and in this case, the roof was black. Three living beings stood inside the black-roofed building.

"You two are pretty good at jumping like frogs," smirked Gabby. Tsume frowned and snarled, still unsure of the way humans did things. Tsume didn't notice she held back a wide giggly grin. Auntie sat in the corner stretching her legs. Both of their shot legs appeared to be better than before thanks to their healing.

"Now, Tsume, I'll teach you how to look at the city from a thief's perspective," said Gabby. Tsume narrowed his eyes slightly. The old woman continued, "And that is down by staring it down from the rooftops and ruins. This is the best spot for us as it gives us a fantastic almost-complete view."

She was right. Tsume could see across, below, above, and into almost any direction he pleased. The only problem was the danger, although this corner of the city was noticeably free of criminals. He assumed they had chosen this spot especially for those reasons.

"Do you see the buildings beside us and the ones we came from? Each has a name. They each have number codes and are known to most of the thieves within this city," then she looked at him sternly in the eye, "You would do well not to consider any of them your territory as your instincts say. Thieves may not share their loot freely but the land is shared. The headquarters are the only places truly claimed. Now then…"

Tsume took in every word. To him, it sounded as though she was bursting to tell someone this for years but had no one to tell. It also sounded to him that his territorial and killing wolf instincts would have to come to a halt or subdue greatly. At least Gabby seemed understanding… still, it annoyed him.

"We also have names which we use instead of our real ones. Hurgem's is Silvi and mine is Chloe, so please get used to calling us that when around strangers, or even fellow allies. Don't trust anyone either."

That was asking for an awful lot. So he was stuck with these two for the rest of his thieving life? What of his future pack? It suddenly occurred to him that while he was a thief, he must remain human, and that meant no pack. He'd manage, he always did.

"Tsume! Come on!" he heard Gabby say from a distance. While in his thoughts he hadn't noticed Gabby's leap to another roof building. It was shameful to have Auntie's gaze on his ears, this made him blush. What a cute little boy he was when he blushed.

The grey wolf just growled gruffly and leapt after Gabby. The two leapt from one coloured roof building to another and eventually came back to the bloody house they were in in the first place.

Gabby showed Tsume a few things within the house and told him it was their headquarters. She made a new mark on the wall, one which he assumed would tell other thieves it were claimed. She then opened a box-like object and sat the wolf down on the ground.

"These, Tsume, are earrings, merchandise." In her hand were several winking golden figures. They seemed to smile greedily at him through their patterned crosses. He outstretched a hand to feel them, and Gabby reluctantly let him examine. They felt cold and delicately hard, that was all. He saw no value in human accessories. He handed them back to Gabby.

"Would you like to trade them for your earrings?" she asked. Tsume felt the ones in his ear with his fingers, surprised when he found it hurt when they pulled. He winced slightly, but tried to ignore it. He was wondering how trading worked… he didn't like it when there was something he didn't know about, especially if it was right in his face.

"Trade?" he growled, averting his attention to the blood-stained floor.

"When an item is given for another of equal worth," she explained. The grey wolf found himself understanding her words.

"And these are worth the ones in your hand?" he asked, drawing away from her to look at the window, seemingly uninterested in looking at the shining metal any longer. Gabby's smirk didn't escape his eyes. Her stared at her a little in wait for her answer.

"No. This is just a gift I'm giving to a newbie."

In wolf form, Tsume's tail ear twitched. "How much would it really be worth?"

"Gold and diamond are the most valuable gems and metals while strong, durable metals are valued highly in weapons. Guns are a trending thing amongst us thieves but… wolves and such generally prefer a hand-weapon to a long-ranged weapon, yet the…" she babbled. Tsume's irritation slightly increased. Why must she lecture him on the simplest sight or question? Why must she ignore his question completely? Why must her every reply be long and in-depth, as though locked up and itching to get out.

Gabby continued to talk while Tsume angrily took it all in. When she finally came back to his original question, it was ten minutes into the lecture and the poor wolf's fangs were showing slightly. She repeated the question again, to which in reply Tsume somehow figured out how to stuff his earrings out without bloodying his neck; he stuffed them into Gabby's outstretched hand and grabbed the others. Once they were on, he noticed how much heavier they were, and if he had looked into a mirror, how they suited his sharp golden eyes.

Gabby opened her mouth to say something else and Tsume gave her a deadly glare.

"… Um… you know what? I think we'll do something else tomorrow, okay?" she said awkwardly, finally realising she was seconds away from being totally incapacitated. Tsume nodded stiffly and stretched his legs in wolf form. He bit back the urge to run around in the form as well and instead shifted back into his human morph to follow Gabby back across the city. Once entered the Black Roof building, as he labelled it, they were greeted by heavy snores coming from a pure white mound of fur. Gabby just snorted and lay next to it as though it were a pillow.

"You go sleep or do whatever you want," she mumbled with her eyes closer. Before Tsume could object, she had fallen asleep.

_Well that's awfully convenient! Now what do I do?_ He hissed to himself. He may as well go practice his leap-frogging skills on the rooftops and check out the view. It sounded as though Gabby wouldn't be pleased if he wasn't capable of jumping. It would also vent some of his frustration too… that was the plan wasn't it? He snorted to himself once again.

He walked back to the window and looked. A yard before him was another building, this one shorter and older. It was crumbling like a cookie, a comparison Tsume is not capable of even today.

The railing, though, was stiff and new, as if someone hadn't forgotten about the building after all and ordered a reconstruction… of the rails? It was suspicious, yes, but Tsume didn't know that yet. He only knew how to be a wannabe leap-frog.

* * *

"Are you sure this wasn't another wolf?" whispered Gabby. Hurgem shook her head, hand stroking her hair.

"He had mingled scents, they all overlapped each other. I'm afraid I didn't get more." She answered in the same whisper. The mysterious stranger from before the city was in the center of interest and suspicion.

They were both quiet for a moment, and then their gaze fell on the black shape leap-frogging the railings, and they could not help but smile. How lucky they had all been to land with him on their side. A wolf. A real wolf with a scar to show.

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**EXTRA:**

If you just happened to grow wings and magically fly up to the black roof building (as an angel from heaven), what you would see is two smirking grannies with torn clothes and bloody stains on the hems. One has a gun in her hand and the other a very suspiciously empty beer bottle. They also have this weird crazy glint in their eyes which makes you shrivel and freeze. Your wings lock.

_CRASH_

There goes the angel.

The next day the swamp-park smelled of heavenly bliss.

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**Oh my gosh I can't believe how long it's been since I updated. I just kinda lost interest in writing but now that I have some fresh ideas, I can write again. I hope you enjoyed the little extra of mine! ;3 Next chapter I'll try to involve the guy who got Tsume's blood, m'kay? All suggestions are helpful!  
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